Papers by Thomas Kamphuis
A reconsideration of a familiar Viking stirrup mount, 2024
Viking Period bronze stirrup mounts, installed to fasten stirrups to the leather straps hanging d... more Viking Period bronze stirrup mounts, installed to fasten stirrups to the leather straps hanging down from saddles, are artifacts frequently found in random places. They had a practical design, but it would appear that they frequently failed their riders, with one or more of the three iron rivets becoming loose-and the mount subsequently lost. One of the most familiar Viking stirrup mounts, given the many known examples of the artifact, is the roughly triangular one which David Williams identifies in his Late Saxon Stirrup-Strap Mounts as a Class A Type 8 form. Often displayed upside down so that they look like large wolf heads, these are among the most clearly defined examples which he illustrated: At their best, the mounts include beast heads which are fairly abstract, and many of the other features are relatively shallow. Williams suggests that a review of examples of this type tends to confirm what appears to be a gradual deterioration or "debasement" (his word) in form, and he asserts that this type offered the best example of a rapid stylistic attenuation in a stirrup mount. The examples which Mr. Williams pictures above-there are twenty nine in his catalogue-he presents as the prototypes of later diminished stirrup mounts. That conclusion may have been premature.
A Viking artifact and an appeal for Valhalla, 2024
Article by David Mullaly about a dark bronze figure of a Scandinavian-looking man with a sword, c... more Article by David Mullaly about a dark bronze figure of a Scandinavian-looking man with a sword, carrying in one hand what looks like a huge bracelet made from twisted metal.
Vikings and more. The objects of their time and the objects of the peoples surrounding them during the Viking Age., 2023
Vikings and more. The objects of their time and the objects of the peoples surrounding them durin... more Vikings and more. The objects of their time and the objects of the peoples surrounding them during the Viking Age. The Vikings, who were they? And: was a Viking always a Viking? Vikings and Norsemen-there is a distinct difference between them-made history not only through what we retrospectively call the Viking Age, but also through the various, typically decorated artifacts of their time. But what makes an artifact from that time can be described as "typically Viking," or more appropriately, Scandinavian? And what-all too often-is described as "viking" but is not?
Two Viking Artifacts and the Fates, 2024
In this article I give way for an article written by a longtime friend from the States with wich ... more In this article I give way for an article written by a longtime friend from the States with wich I feel honoured to share the same passion about the Viking period and the artefacts of that time for almost two decades now, David Mullaly.
An Anglo-Norman scabbard chape in romanesque style from the late 11th or 12th century, 2022
In this short article I like to show a fine preserved Anglo-Norman scabbard chape from the (late)... more In this short article I like to show a fine preserved Anglo-Norman scabbard chape from the (late) 11th or 12 centuries wich was being found near Thetford, Norfolk some 20 years ago. Artefacts in this romanesque style, found in England, are called Anglo-Norman. These kind of style on artefacts was shortlived, app. between 1066 A.D. following the Norman Conquest and 1200 A.D. The, bronze, object measures 25 mm in length en weighs 8,95 grams. The type of object in itself from this specific period of time is very rare and certainly in this-whole-state of preservation. In the Portable Antiques Scheme just one similar object can be found. Steven Ashley categorizes these type of objects under 'Anglo-Norman elite objects from castle and countryside.'
Een ovalen reliëfplaatje uit de vroege middeleeuwen gevonden in Beers, 2022
In augustus 2011 is tijdens metaaldetectie een opvallend bronzen voorwerp gevonden. De vinder wee... more In augustus 2011 is tijdens metaaldetectie een opvallend bronzen voorwerp gevonden. De vinder wees mij er in 2021 op. Daarvoor had ik geen weet van de vondst van dit voorwerp. Het voorwerp heeft de vorm van een langgerekt ovalen plaatje, met een lengte van 55 mm, een breedte van 22 mm en een dikte van 4 mm. Het gewicht bedraagt 26,2 gram. De belangrijkste vraag van de vinder aan mij was of het voorwerp, gezien zijn dier en mens motieven, afkomstig is uit een Scandinavisch land.
An early medieval oval bronze artefact with embossed Style II decoration , 2022
An early medieval oval bronze artefact with embossed Style II decoration found in Beers ((in the ... more An early medieval oval bronze artefact with embossed Style II decoration found in Beers ((in the municipality of Cuijk) in The Netherlands. In August 2011 during metal detecting a remarkable object had been found. The finder pointed this to me in 2021. Prior to that year the find was unknown to me. The artefact has the form of an oval elongated plate, with a size of 55 mm in length, 22 mm wide and thickness 4 mm. Its weight is 26.2 gram. The main question from the finder to me was if the artefact, considering the animal and human like motifs way of depicting, could point to a manufacturing origin in Scandinavia.
Review publication Fibula. Fabula. Fact. -The Viking Age in Finland, 2022
Sometimes you buy a book wich unsuspectably delivers so much that it can be called revolutionary.... more Sometimes you buy a book wich unsuspectably delivers so much that it can be called revolutionary. The publication Fibula. Fabula. Fact. The Viking Age in Finland, edited by Joonas Ahola & Frog with Clive Tolley truly dismisses the beaten track. Just having arrived at page 41 (of a firm 500) I already cannot withold my sheer enthousiasm.
Review book Missioning or looting -Insular and continental sacred objects in Viking Age contexts in Norway, 2022
An intriguing book had been published by Egil Mikkelsen dealing with the question if insular and ... more An intriguing book had been published by Egil Mikkelsen dealing with the question if insular and continental material, mostly metalwork, found in pagan Viking graves in Norway had been looted from churches and monasteries on the British Isles and the Continent or were brought by missionaries from the Continent to Norway.
Miniature chairs from the Viking Age -what is it ?, 2021
Replica so called 'kubbstol' (original in Swedish National Museum). Reading all kind of sorts of ... more Replica so called 'kubbstol' (original in Swedish National Museum). Reading all kind of sorts of books about Viking Age artefacts, recently I dived into the world of so called miniature objects. Few publications had been dedicated on this kind of objects. Bo Jensen's Viking Age amulets in Scandinavia and Western Europe and Leszek Gardela's Scandinavian amulets in Viking Age Poland the two best known.
Provenancing and de-provenancing of artefacts
I write this blog deliberately in English, enabling everone around the world reading it, as Engli... more I write this blog deliberately in English, enabling everone around the world reading it, as English is a common language. Im am (very) sure I'm not making myself popular raising the subject, but it has to be dome (again) and I will explain why. Sometimes, as a collector, in this case of genuine artefacts from the Viking Age, one encounters the most beautiful objects on the net, for sale.
A drinking horn final from the Viking Age, 2021
Drinking horn finals from the early medieval period are extremely rare. Let aside, those having a... more Drinking horn finals from the early medieval period are extremely rare. Let aside, those having an outspoken viking (or hybrid Anglo-)Scandinavian style as the example here published. This bronze example had been found near Lincoln in Lincolnshire, England. The, complete, example seemingly having a simple form of decoration and casting, but, and here one recognizes the distinguished, and what it sets it apart from everything else, viking art, once again, zooming in, taking a closer look. The details are of an astonishing quality-and if I might say: force. Looking at the end of the final where one sees an animal face, a slight rotation of it unravels the intimate perspective looking at a wolves head.
Viking stopper in Hiberno-Norse Borre style, 2021
Viking Age. Apparantly having had functionated as some kind of stopper, to my knowledge, there is... more Viking Age. Apparantly having had functionated as some kind of stopper, to my knowledge, there isn't a second example known, regarding this type of object. Stylisticallywise the decoration can be addressed as of Hiberno-Norse origin, the Norse-Gaelic. In Ireland, Scotland-including the Hebrids and the Isle of Man-from the 9th to the 12th centuries onwards a hybrid culture of people were living with a Gaelic background besides Norse immigrants-viking, or otherwise. These immigrants settled in these areas and adopted (partly) the culture of the Geal and intermingled via marriage. In-what we now call in hindsight-the Viking Age, these people distinguished themselves in their art outings on artefacts and in behaviour. They were very determined.
Collectors of Viking Age artefacts, beware - part 2, 2021
It must have been in my very prime of collecting, at least 15 years ago, that I saw a fibula on E... more It must have been in my very prime of collecting, at least 15 years ago, that I saw a fibula on Ebay, said to have been found in the area of Staraya Ladoga and described as being 'Viking/from the Viking Age'. Now, as I have said in the first part of this article, some years ago: 'the Viking Age' is a somewhat strange concept within itself as nobody at the time knew he or she was living "in the Viking Age". It is a modern concept. The other thing is that-of course-not every object found "from the Viking Age" is 'viking' or 'Scandinavian'. Elisabeth Voges-keep an eye on that woman on www.academia.edu and elsewhere on the internet, because she knows what she is doing, pointed out to me that a certain fibula in my collection wasn't 'viking', let alone 'Baltic'.
The Elusive Face of the Viking God Thor, 2020
The two most popular gods in the Norse pantheon were Odin and Thor, and it's reasonable to expect... more The two most popular gods in the Norse pantheon were Odin and Thor, and it's reasonable to expect that the Norse people would want to represent them in decorations on their jewelry and other items. Some artifacts decorated with images of human-like figures, the identities of some of which are unclear, provide a few clear markers for Odin. If the face has only one eye, and the other eye is unquestionably absent, then the object was presumably intended to provide an image of Odin, the Allfather. He was willing to give up one eye in exchange for wisdom. If the human-like image includes the figures of two birds, Odin again is indicated. He was provided with two ravens, Hugin and Munin, who traveled the world to get information about whatever interested Odin. As I suggested in another commentary, https://www.academia.edu/26753626/The_Odin_mount_revisited_the_converting_element this supernatural being may also have been represented wearing some sort of interlaced crown or head piece. Other artifacts featuring a realistic face of a Norse male with large round eyes have been identified as a representation of Odin, although one should take that attribution with at least a few grains of salt. Finding images intended to represent Thor is more complicated. Of course, Thor has his hammer, called Mjölnir, as a symbol. Many examples of hammer pendants have been found over the years-in gold, silver, bronze, bone, lead. In fact, some were probably made of wood, although long-term survival was always unlikely. However, exchanges with experienced metal detectorists, and by extension with UK Finds Liaison Officers, suggest that some artifacts found with more abstract faces were intended to represent Thor. These are in some cases clearly representative of the "hidden faces" inclinations of Norse craftsmen: https://www.academia.edu/11545419/The_hidden_face_motif_in_Viking_Age_artefacts
Viking bird brooch of the late Viking Age, 2020
An article about a late Viking bird brooch found in England.
Viking brooch in Urnes style, 2020
An article about a Scandinavian brooch in the Urnes style from Scandinavia.
Bronzen ruiter. Decoratiestuk van een paardentuig, 2019
This is an article about a Slavic horse spur goad wich was published in the Dutch Vind Magazine
Collectors of Viking Age artefacts, beware!, 2015
This is an article on collecting Viking Age artefacts and a warning to all collectors whereby I a... more This is an article on collecting Viking Age artefacts and a warning to all collectors whereby I am adressing an experience I had with an auction house, in December 2015. In general it is addressing to be very cautious towards all online buying of Viking Age artefacts, wich stays important to address as unprovenanced items keep popping up on the net, still, even more..
Goad element of a parade prick spur found in England from the Viking Age of possible Slavic origin, 2018
An article on a goad element of a parade prick spur found in England from the Viking Age of poss... more An article on a goad element of a parade prick spur found in England from the Viking Age of possible Slavic origin.
(with thanks to Leszek Gardela).
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Papers by Thomas Kamphuis
(with thanks to Leszek Gardela).
(with thanks to Leszek Gardela).